The Old History Job
by WriKai
Summary: Eliot's world gets turned upside-down when he gets a call from a childhood friend he hasn't talk to in over a decade. A new job for the team and a new chance for Eliot to make amends, but what else might come of it? Will feature entire Leverage team.
1. Al and Ellie

"I take it you've never been married?" Hardison asked.

"No." Eliot answered, shaking his head. In his line of work, you didn't get married. You didn't have girlfriends. Other attachments were a risk, a liability, and would constantly be in danger. It was one-night stands or nothing for him. Anything more and he was risking their safety.

"Ever come close?" Eliot didn't answer that question, not off the bat. He didn't know these people well enough yet to tell them about his personal history. But that question… He couldn't help but remember a girl from a long, long time ago. He couldn't help but remember hair that was blonde like straw, but as flowing and graceful as wheat in the wind; eyes like the mud and dirt they played in, when the sun was out and shining.

"No." Eliot finally said. But Hardison caught on, and that annoying as hell smirk grew on his face.

"What was her name?" Allison Cartman. Allie for short at first, then Al. Only he was allowed to call her Al for some reason. She'd beat the living hell out of anyone else that tried.

Then again, most people who tried tended to say it pretty rudely, and deserved to have the living hell beat out of them so they might learn some goddamn decency.

"It was a girl I grew up with," Eliot started before stopping himself. He wasn't about to tell a Hacker that information. He wasn't going to give him the chance to look her up (or worse, call her). He thought about one of their recent jobs, the one with Amy, and filled in what had happened with her. "But anyway, she married somebody else, so…" He glanced over at Hardison, and saw that he believed him.

"Hot damn." He muttered, whistling a little bit. "What did you do?"

"What did I do?" He asked, angry. He knew what he'd done to Allie. He'd given Amy a promise ring instead, and then left both of them in the dust. He hadn't even known that Allie had felt anything for him until he left; until he heard her tell him she loved him, she'd always loved him, and that she hoped he'd be happy with Amy. Then she left, too, and Eliot hadn't seen her since. "I liberated Croatia!" He seethed, shoving the apple he'd been eating in to Hardison's hands before walking off. He could hear Hardison calling after him though. Something geeky about comic books and being fat.

He wished he knew where she was, though. He still missed her. She didn't write him letters, however whether it was because she didn't know where to send them or because she knew that they'd end up at Amy's place, he had no idea. But now… If Allie knew what he'd done, would she even look him in the eyes anymore?

He never went back to her because it would hurt too much, hurt the both of them too much. He still dreamt of her, though; still dreamt of when they were kids and things were less complicated. He was three years older than her, but she didn't care. He was her best friend.

She was Al, and he was Ellie. That was what they'd agreed on, when she was five and he was eight. "If you're going to give me a boys name, then I'm going to give you a girl name!" That was her logic. She didn't call him Ellie in public, though. Only when it was just them, and nobody could care less.

Some days he wished she had.

He got back to cutting onions, his mind still wandering to Allie though. Maybe he'll give Hardison her name later on, if they all ended up panning out and became a team he could trust. Maybe he could just keep tabs on her and her family, make sure they were OK. Never had to talk with them, never had to interact, just monitor and protect from a distance.

Two years later he did just that, giving Hardison her name and the last address he knew for her. Nate was still in jail, they were still fighting the good fight, it was just a… A side project. He made sure Hardison knew to be discreet, and to keep him updated on anything new involving her. Over the next two years he learned that she dropped the official fight circuit, that she had worked to get her little sister in to a good college (she'd earned some scholarships as well) in Indiana, that Allie moved from that small town in Idaho to Portland after her mom had…

Oh.

Eliot didn't attend the funeral. He wanted to, but he couldn't. He just… It would've been too hard for him to go back. He sent flowers, though, and money to help with the costs (all anonymously).

Her mom died almost a year after he asked Hardison to keep tabs on Allie (car accident. Nobody's fault). She put her sister, Jamie, in college not long after Hardison did... whatever it was he did with his computer stuff ("You want me to keep tabs on the sister too?" Yes, Hardison, of course I want you to keep tabs on her sister. Watch all three of them, but keep the main focus on Allie), and herself in a local Portland community college about six months after her mom passed. When Eliot and the others moved to Portland as well, she was maybe an hour away from their brewery.

She got in to computers at some point, and continued with them in college ("Her major is computer science and her minor is criminology. Got nearly a full ride from the same guys that sponsored her sister. Grades are great." Thanks, Hardison. Don't screw with any of her computer stuff.), but she kept fighting; unsanctioned fights now. She made a fair amount of money with them, and tended to receive anonymous donations from people who'd profited off of her ("Now I can't prove that she's betting on herself and earning the money that way, but if it ain't her then I'm not certain who it could be"). When she wasn't fighting or in classes she was working two different jobs – waitressing and security for a shitty nightclub.

She didn't like being bored. She didn't like staying still. She didn't like help, not unless she trusted the people first. The way they'd grown up… He knew why she didn't trust. He knew why she preferred to do things herself. He still woke up somedays to a lot of bad memories, and her voice screaming for him. Every day, he woke up hoping to never get a call like that again.

But six months after they moved to Portland, he did.


	2. Cry For Help

She was in her apartment, making scrambled eggs and sautéing a few choice vegetables. Mix them together, add in some rice, and you had a well-balanced meal that was delicious at any time of the day. She didn't have work tonight, she reserved Wednesday nights for study nights. It was nice, having a relaxing evening to herself. No roommates to worry about, her sister had called yesterday to let her know how classes were going in Indiana so that wasn't an issue, and her own classes were fine. Her research paper was going well, wasn't due for another month and a half but already was making some headway with professors. As for funds…

She took a moment from her cooking to check her computer. Scholarships for her and her sister that paid for the majority of their respective collegiate work (as long as they maintained a 3.0 GPA minimum), courtesy of A.O.&B., still intact and unquestioned. No fights tonight, however she was scheduled for one on…. This coming Sunday. Down by the docks. There were four bets placed on her through different bookies online, all anonymously. Allison took a moment to smile. All was well. All was right. If things kept up this way, she could keep fighting up until her "contract" was up, then just… leave. Quit the game. Go to her sister's graduation without worrying about looking like a beat-up mess. Relax. By that time she could probably even quit her jobs and go to work for an actual internet security company.

As long as she stuck to her plan and was smart, everything would work without any difficulties. She'd worked hard to make sure her and her sister would have the financials to succeed, and in a few years, she'd see the fruits of her work.

Allison went back to her cooking, content with how things were going. The food would almost be done, she could sit and eat and get back to working on her essay and studying for the upcoming German exam.

She finished her cooking, and put it all in a bowl to mix together and eat. It was a good night. Relaxing.

At least, it was until she heard banging on the door. She stopped then, and placed her bowl back on the countertop. There was another loud bang, followed by cracking. Whoever was out there was going to try and break down her door.

For a moment, Allie couldn't help but remember the last time someone tried to break down her door. "ALLISON!" It was the ghost of a memory in the back of her head. "ALLISON MILLER, ARE YOU IN THERE WITH YOUR SISTER?!" That wasn't her last name, though. She would never, ever go by Miller. Never when she wrote her name down as a kid. Never when she introduced herself. The second she could change her last name, she had it legally put as her mother's.

"Jamie, get in the closet." She'd whispered then, shoving her sister towards said closet. Now, though, there was nobody else she needed to protect but herself. And she still had a place to hide in the closet. So that was where she went, grabbing a kitchen knife and a bottle of spray cleaner as she hauled ass to her closet. She closed the door just as the front one was busted open.

"Where's the girl?" Allison heard someone ask. Male. Very big. Very angry. And apparently looking for her. She held her breath, thinking through escape options. She was on the fifth floor. Fire escape might be an option if it's just one.

"I don't know!" Another person answered, just as male and big and angry as the first. Fire escape may be a less likely option now. They could get her from either side. Why did they want her? "We were told she'd be here! Her lights are on!"

"Search the place." A third decided. Fuck. "Take all her computers and anything that looks like her research. It'll be a decent substitute if we can't find her." They wanted her research? Why would they want her research? Unless…

No. There was no way in hell they knew. She worked hard to make sure nobody knew. If anybody went looking, it should've all traced back to Raymond.

But she couldn't focus on that now. She had to find a way out, and get help. If she didn't get any sort of help or let anyone know what was going on she'd be screwed. She didn't know a lot of people in Portland, though. She usually kept to herself, that way in case this day came nobody else would get involved.

Now she needed somebody, though. She patted her pockets, hoping she had her phone. Thank God, yes, she did. Who could she call, though? Her mind flashed back one more time to the last time she'd been in this situation. "Ellie!" She'd screamed in to the phone. Back then, there wasn't a point in being quiet, they were past that. Now, though, she had to call again, and be much quieter.

She also had to hope that he hadn't changed his number, and that he would answer. She raised the phone to her ear, listening as the three men proceeded to destroy her apartment. "Please answer." She begged. "Please, please answer."

…

Eliot was in his home, working on his garden. Most would think that tending to a garden at night was odd, but when you want to get something done, you make time for it. Besides, it was easier to do at night. The heat wasn't bearing down on him, the lights he had set up to simulate sunlight were working wonderfully, and he just had the time.

His phone rang, interrupting his calm. It was Hardison. "What?" He asked, annoyed. If he was calling for a job at 11 at night, Eliot was going to kick his ass.

"Hey, something's wrong." Hardison said. "Allison's security alarm just went off." Eliot's blood ran cold at those words. Someone was trying to break in to Allie's place. He could be there in about an hour to help. Then his phone beeped, signaling another call.

Allison. He hadn't changed his number since he'd known her.

He hung up on Hardison to answer her. "Allison?" He asked. In the back of his mind, he could hear her voice when they were younger, screaming for him over the phone.

"Eliot." She whispered. No screaming, but whispering wasn't good either. "Thank God. I need your help. Please. Men are trying to break in to my house." In the background, he could hear things being smashed. Suddenly, she screamed.

"THERE YOU ARE!" A male voice, one he didn't know. He roared a second later. "MY EYES! YOU BITCH, WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SPRAY IN MY EYES?" The line went dead after that.

Eliot could be there in thirty minutes, maybe less. He hauled ass to his car, calling the Hacker back. "Hey man, I'm getting a lot of funky readings from Allison's alarm system," he started, but Eliot cut him off.

"HARDISON!" He shouted, starting up his car. He peeled out quickly, headed towards the highway. "I NEED THE QUICKEST ROUTE TO HER HOUSE, NOW."

"OK, OK," Hardison agreed. "Head towards the highway."

"NO SHIT!" Eliot replied. "I NEED THERE TO BE NO COPS ON THE WAY."

"I'm working, I'm working!" Hardison promised. "Is everything OK? What's wrong with Allison?"

"She's in trouble." Eliot answered. "And I'm going to get her." Hardison didn't give him any more lip after that, just did whatever computer tech he did to divert the police as Eliot roared down the interstate. He reached her apartment in 25 minutes, his speedometer never dipping below 115 until he arrived. She lived up on the 5th floor. The fire escape would be his quickest way in. He hauled ass around the side, determined to get up there. A few minutes later, he was in her apartment. He heard tires squeal outside, and for a moment threw his head back out the window to try and get a clear view of the probable getaway car. Grey car, last four numbers on the plate were… A33I. Hopefully Hardison could do something with that.

He moved back inside, and took a look around the room. It was a mess, from a mixture of fighting and tearing it up to find something. There was blood on the floor near her closet and… was that smell cleaning supplies? Yep. Definitely cleaning stuff. Eliot moved from her bedroom to her living area, and saw an even worse mess. Her couch was torn up, her TV was broken, there was more blood strewn about, but not enough to indicate someone was dead. Just enough to show definitive injuries. There was a knife embedded in the wall, and when Eliot pulled it out he could see blood on it. Must've been the weapon used, but by who?

He stopped when he heard groaning coming from her small kitchen. He turned to look, and saw… Allie. No table on top of her, she didn't have one, but she was once more sprawled on the floor. This time, though, she was moving and making noise. "Allison!" He cried, moving to help her.

"Eliot?" She asked, confused. "What… What are you doing here?"

"You called me." He reminded her. "Remember?"

"No." She answered, rubbing her head. "I think I've got a concussion."

"Headache?" Eliot asked. She gave him a thumbs up. "And obviously amnesia. Do you know where you are?"

"My… My apartment, right?" She asked. He nodded.

"Ears ringing?" Thumbs up. "Nausea?" He asked. Another thumbs up. "You want help getting to your bathroom?"

"If I get up I think I may puke." She answered. "Nodding my head hurts too, for the record."

"Yeah, you've got a concussion." Eliot confirmed. "Let me help you up. We'll get you to…" He looked around her trashed apartment. Her couch wasn't really the best idea, and in all honesty they could easily come back for her if they wanted. "I'm going to get you to a safe place, OK?"

"I… I'm fine." She said.

"There were people here." Eliot told her. "They're gone, now, but they were after you."

"And…" She added, thinking hard. "Hold on, I'm trying to remember."

"Don't worry about it." He told her. "Lets get you to somewhere safe before they come back. We'll figure out what happened after you've rested and had some time to recover." She took a moment to look around, and he knew she could see some of the destruction that had become her home.

"OK." She finally said. "OK." Eliot knew how much it took for her to say that, and was thankful she did.

"Want me to help you up?" He offered.

"Grab a bucket." She requested first. "I don't want to risk puking in your car."

"OK." He nodded. "Where is it?" She closed her eyes, thinking on it.

"Mr. Doles keeps a bucket outside his apartment." She said. "He's a… he's a jerk. Lives across the hall."

"Why does he keep a bucket outside his apartment?"

"Waits for people to accidentally kick it on this floor. Opens the door and gets pissy with them if they do." She answered. "I've been wanting to take it for a few months. Perfect time now." Eliot would've laughed, in all honesty, if she wasn't hurt. He just nodded, and scooped her up in his arms like it was nothing. "I can walk." She tried to argue.

"And if you stand you're going to be sick." He reminded her. "I got you." She didn't say another word, just looked around dazed as he carried her out of her apartment, down the stairs, and back to his car, picking up the bucket as he went. She might be disoriented as well, another sign of a concussion, but she had known where she was. Either way, Eliot was getting her to the safest place he knew; his place.

He drove away as sirens rang out in the distance, probably responding to the home security alarm or neighbor complaints at Allie's apartment. Allison was laying down in his back seat, eyes open but not quite alert or awake. He thought about it for a moment. She had held a conversation, and the only reason she hadn't walked was due to not wanting to puke. Her pupils weren't dilated, either. She should be fine to sleep. "You can take a nap in the back, if you want." Eliot offered. "I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Thanks." She replied, smiling, but her eyes stayed open. Eliot just let out a small sigh, and hit redial on his phone.

"Hardison," he said when the hacker answered.

"Is everything alright on your end?" He asked.

"Yes and no." Eliot said. "Call the team. Tell them we've got a new client."

"You want us to meet up now?" He asked. Eliot looked in his rearview mirror, and saw Allison in two different ways. He saw her now, tired and drained and in need of rest and recovery. He saw her as a kid, when she was ten years old and in the hospital bed, just as tired and drained but that time too scared to fall asleep.

"No." He decided. "In the morning. I want her to rest first."

"Alright." Hardison agreed.

"I've got a partial plate number. Do you think you can run it?"

"I can try. What do you got for details?" Eliot told him everything he'd seen about the car – color, make, model – alongside the last 4 pieces of the plate he had. "I'll see what I can do with this." Hardison promised.

"Good." Eliot hung up, then. He drove the rest of the way back to his house in silence, and helped Allison in to his spare bedroom when they got there. "You're staying with me for the night." He told her. "In the morning, I'll make sure you get help."

"Alright." She agreed, settling in to the bed. The bucket was beside her, but she had had yet to need it. Eliot stood in the doorway of the room, suddenly feeling awkward.

"If you, uh…" He took a breath. "If you need anything, I'll be right across the hall, OK? Bathroom is to the left."

"OK." She replied. Eliot stayed a second longer, the two of them staring at each other. They hadn't spoken in over ten years. He wasn't certain if she had any more of an idea as to what to say than he did.

"Goodnight." He said quickly, starting to walk away.

"Eliot," she spoke just as rushed, stopping him from moving. He turned back around to look at her, uncertain as to what she would say. Would she yell at him? If not now, then probably later. Would she just say never mind? Would she ask him to stay? He couldn't help but see her in that hospital bed again, when his father was ready to leave and she was asking if he could stay just a little bit longer.

He also couldn't help but doubt that would be the case.

"Thank you." She said. That surprised him, for some reason. He didn't know why he wasn't expecting that, but it… it felt good to hear. At least for tonight, there wouldn't be any hostility. Later, probably, but right now… Right now she was stressed and tired and had a concussion and he shouldn't put too much weight in her words.

"We're always there for each other, right?" Eliot asked. He remembered them making that promise in the hospital, when they were kids. We'll always be there for each other.

Eliot knew he misspoke, though, when she stopped looking at him. "Goodnight, Eliot." Her voice sounded hollow with those words, and Eliot knew why. It was his own damn fault anyways. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what. So instead, he retreated to his room and laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Explaining all of this to the team in the morning would be… Interesting, to say the least.


	3. Morning at Eliots

I woke up at 9 in the morning, sitting up straight and in a cold sweat. I could still see parts of my dream, somewhere in the back of my mind. None of it was good, none of it was pretty. Eliot couldn't get to me in time, not anymore. I couldn't figure out how old I was. I was an adult. I was a kid. I was scared, no matter what, and each time I would cry out for Eliot in some way. But he wouldn't answer his phone or he'd say he was coming and he never did or… or…

Or he'd be in the doorway, but it would always be too late; and I would still have to see his face as he realized that it was.

I took a few breaths, steadying myself. "It was just a dream." I whispered. "It was just a dream. I'm fine. I'm safe. I'm…" I stopped, looking around the room. Not my room, a room. Kinda barren, probably made for guests. I didn't have a guest room. I was... "Oh no." I muttered. I could remember it now. Remember the fear. Remember grabbing a knife and some cleaner. Remember calling… Calling Eliot. Eliot came. They were already gone, but they came. They didn't take me because I'd called for help, because I'd fought and kicked and screamed and gave them the exact same kind of hell I was trained to give them. The one that'd gone down first, I'd broken his kneecap… He threw something hard at the back of my head. They had my computer. They were looking for… For…

For my research.

They stole my work. They stole everything and left to get their guy to the hospital. I clutched the duvet tightly, feeling just… violated on a personal level. I'd been working on that thing for over a year, decided to make it my main essay project. It was supposed to be my ticket out of, well… everything.

And someone just tried to kidnap me, for my work. I… I wasn't certain what to do with that information. I wanted to hyperventilate, but I had to keep calm. If I freaked out, I would forget important information and it would be harder for me to learn who the hell did this.

So instead, I got up. I took a few breaths, and tried to run a hand through my hair. It was so matted and tangled, though… I needed to brush it. I probably needed to brush my teeth and take a shower, too. Hell, I… I used a… I used my kitchen cleaning spray to try and distract a guy because I don't own pepper spray. I didn't remember last night but I… I remembered now. I needed to write this all down.

I got up quickly, and had to take a second to pause. I may remember everything, but the raging headache persisted. I put a hand on the nightstand, trying to take a step forwards. Instead, my foot landed in the… in the… the bucket. The fucking bucket. I moved my foot immediately, pulling the bucket up with me and hitting myself in the shin with it. "Son of a bitch!" I shouted, careening towards the floor. I rolled over on to my back in the air, tucking my chin as I remembered how to properly break my fall. The sound of my back and arms made loud slapping sounds as I hit the floor, irritating my headache even more. I groaned, deciding to just let my head hit the floor as I closed my eyes. A second later, footsteps came pounding in.

"Allie?!" Eliot asked, seeing me on the ground. I pursed my lips, opening my eyes to look at the man.

"Eliot." I muttered, remembering more things. "I called you last night, right?"

"You remember?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I… I remember." I confirmed. I wanted to be scared, but I couldn't. I sure as hell wouldn't let myself do that in front of Eliot. "At least, I'm starting to remember more and more. I need a pen… And some paper."

"Writing down details?" He asked. I nodded.

"The sooner I write them down, the better the information will be that I can give to the…" I took a small breath, gritting my teeth. "The police. I can hand it off to them and hopefully they'll help me." Eliot looked like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind.

"I'll get you the paper and a pen." He said. "I've been making breakfast. Do you want any?"

"What did you make?" I asked, curious. Once he mentioned it, I could smell… Eggs. And sautéed vegetables. And bacon?

"Bacon and two vegetable omelets." He answered.

"You kept up with cooking?" I remembered him taking Home Ec. I had it with him. He actually did make good omelets.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Thanks for cooking, though. You didn't have to do that." I could remember the first time I had his cooking, after class. His pancakes at the time had been… Less than desirable. And the last time I'd had it…

Last time he'd cooked me any sort of food, he'd told me he was engaged to Amy, and that he was going in to the military. Last time I'd seen him, he was leaving. Leaving when he'd promised that he wouldn't. Going off to marry Amy at some point after that… Just…

I sat up, ignoring the headache as I got the bucket off of my foot. "I needed to write down what I remember." I repeated. "And then afterwards I should honestly probably go."

"What do you mean go, Allie?" He asked. "You were attacked in your apartment. It was ransacked."

"Yeah, I…" I thought for a second. "Yeah, I remember. And… I'll figure something out. I can clean the place up, see what's going on. Call the police and get a temporary place to stay."

"Why not stay here?"

"Yeah… No." I shook my head. "I… I probably shouldn't have called you anyways. I'm sorry. It was a mistake to get you involved." I got up slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose as I did. "Thank you for your hospitality, though."

"Allie, you're being insane right now." He argued.

"No, I just..." I shook my head. "I just need to leave."

"Then why did you call me?" He asked. "How in the hell did you even know I would be there if you did?"

"I… I don't know why I called you." I replied. "I shouldn't have."

"If you hadn't called me, you could've been kidnapped or hurt or… or worse." He explained. "And if you go back and are on your own then we both know the same thing is going to happen again."

"No, you don't know that." I stated. "All I know is that I called someone that walked out on everything years ago, and that that was a mistake. I'll grab a pen and paper at a gas station or something." I didn't even know where in the hell I was, but I could probably figure it out.

"Look," Eliot said, letting out a sigh. "Fine, you won't trust me. Understandable. Look, I've got some… Some buddies in the private sector. You don't even have to deal with the police if you don't want to, these guys can help you out. You… you don't even have to talk with me again if you don't want to."

"I don't know them, or you anymore." I replied, gritting my teeth. "I'm sorry for calling. I'm sorry for involving you. But this doesn't concern you anymore." I tried to walk past him, but Eliot had broadened out since I'd last seen him. He blocked my exit, shaking his head.

"You need help." He said. "You need to be safe."

"I can do it on my own." I replied. "I've been doing things without your help, much less anyone else's, for a while." I crossed my arms, staring him dead in the eyes. He met my gaze equally, just as determined as I was. We stood there, not quite exactly eye-to-eye considering how I was a good foot shorter than him, but both as equally stubborn as the other. Finally, Eliot took a step back, letting his arms fall to his sides.

"You can't go back to your apartment." He stated. "You at least know that's stupid."

"I'll figure out somewhere else to stay."

"I won't interfere," he promised. "I'll stay as far away as possible, but at least accept staying here for the time being. That, and promise me you'll go to the police." I took a breath, considering it as he lowered his arms. "You're not stupid enough to go back to your place just yet, I know that." He pleaded. "You're so much smarter than that."

He was right. They'd broken in to my apartment, they knew my face and knew where I lived. Plus, if I went back to my apartment I would be contaminating a crime scene, which wouldn't help the police identify who broke in and took my research.

"Fine." I agreed. "But I pick the officers. I can do the rest of this on my own."

"Fine." He nodded, lowering his arms. "Do you want breakfast?"

"After I write everything down." I stated. "I don't want to forget anything."

"Alright." Eliot agreed.


	4. Planning

Eliot took a moment to duck out while Allie ate and wrote down what she remembered. There was no way in hell he was going to let local cops deal with this, but she wouldn't meet with the team. At least, not if he was introducing them.

He dialed Nate first. It rung a few times before he got an answer.

"Hello?" It was Sophie.

"Put Nate on." He said. "We've got a client, but she doesn't want anything to do with us."

"What?" Sophie asked.

"I know, but it's important." He explained. "Just get Nate and get the team." Eliot took a second to glance back over at Allie. She was still writing, but he couldn't guarantee when she'd be done. "I'll explain as we go, but we need someone to be able to intercept her at Precinct 9. This isn't something we can let the cops deal with."

"Hold on," Sophie said, and he could hear the phone being passed off.

"Eliot." Nate greeted.

"I need one of us to be a cop, and fast." He said. "We have a client."

"Why can't you just bring her here?"

"It's a long story." He hissed, checking on her again. She'd stopped writing to actually eat, thankfully. Didn't necessarily mean that she still had any more writing to do, though. "I'll explain it later, but she needs our help."

"Parker and Hardison can be at your place in 15." Nate offered, but Eliot shook his head.

"No, it can't be here. None of you can seem like you know me."

"And why is that?"

"A part of the long story." He could hear Nate sigh on the other end of the line, thinking.

"Can you tell me where she'll be going to meet an officer?"

"Precinct 9 is closest." Eliot said. "I'll have my earbud in. You guys can track me there."

"Good." Nate said. "Parker and Hardison can be there in 20 minutes. Me and Sophie can be there in 30."

"Thank you." Eliot hung up quickly, walking to his room to get his earbud and keys. He managed to put it in right as Allie called for him. "One second!" He rooted around a bit more for a hair tie, making sure his earbud was firmly in place as he did. Allie rounded the corner of his door just as he was starting to put his hair back.

"Got an interest in fashion now?" She asked, smirking a little as she looked at him. "What happened to the military crop you used to love? Said it made you look cool and everything?"

"Shut up." Eliot muttered. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I was about to ask you which way to walk." Eliot shook his head at that.

"You're not walking." Eliot said.

"I'm pretty certain I can get there no problem."

"Allison, you have consistently been the most directionally-challenged person I have ever met." Eliot stated. "Remember the camping incident?" Allie pursed her lips at that reminder. She'd gone camping with Eliot and his dad when she was young, and had gotten lost trying to get firewood.

Eight times.

In the same trip.

"Then where would you say is the nearest bus station?"

"Do you even have any money for a bus?" He cut her off before she could interject. "Or a cab? Or any sort of transportation other than me driving you?"

"Walking doesn't require money." She muttered.

"Fine. You can walk if you can tell me right now which direction is north." Eliot raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as Allie gritted her teeth. She had no idea, and they both knew it. Still, she pointed in a random direction that, actually, just so happened to be North. "Nice try." Eliot lied.

"Eliot, we're in on coms." Hardison's voice, coming through as if the hacker were right next to him. "We'll be there soon, but we're going to need a little extra time to set up long enough for it all to fool her. Stall for as long as you can."

"Fine." Allie muttered. "What's your brilliant idea, then?" Eliot just raised his keys for her to see, jingling them.

"I'll take you there." He offered. "And if they deem it safe enough, take you to your apartment afterwards. If not, you're free to stay with me as long as you'd like."

"I'm not staying long." She promised, but the words came out more harshly than that. It hurt Eliot a little to hear that change. She'd been almost smiling at him earlier in their rapport. It had been just like when they were younger, before…

Well, just before.

Eliot wasn't really certain if he would ever be able to make up for before.


	5. Precinct 9

The drive to the precinct was slow. Agonizingly slow. I went over everything I remembered and wrote down, trying to figure out if I was missing something. I remembered fighting. I remembered them taking my computers. They wanted my research. I couldn't tell about my research though, at least not to Eliot. He didn't need to know about my extracurriculars.

However, he felt the need to give me the grand tour on the way to the station. What places were good to eat. What different historical sites were down which ways. He tried to insist on taking me to a donut place ("What? Cops like donuts, right? They'll probably appreciate it and be more willing to help you out!" "Eliot, I swear to God if you slow down starting the investigation on why these people broke into my apartment in the name of getting some goddamn donuts, I can and will shove the entire box in to your face."), but I was pretty firm on saying no.

He zoned out sometimes, like something was bothering him. I wasn't certain what he was thinking about, though. I could make plenty of guesses, but I had no certainty as to what was in his head. I'd lost that certainty a long time ago.

Then he'd pick right back up again on telling me something or other about the city as we went. The false cheeriness was enough to drive me insane.

"Eliot, why are you in Portland?" I finally asked, interrupting his tale about… Hell, I wasn't even certain. I'd stopped paying attention about 15 minutes ago, post-donut debate.

"Huh?"

"Last I heard, I had no idea where you were." I stated. "Actually, last I heard was you showing up in Kentucky a few years ago. Aimee told me." We'd all gone to high school together, before. Aimee had been in the same year as Eliot. He'd driven off in to the sunset with her, and then disappeared. Aimee had called me after he left for the nth time. I don't think she knew who else to talk to about Eliot.

She did the same after Kentucky. She hadn't told me much about what had happened, just that he'd been there and that I should come out to see their horse sometime. We both knew it was a hollow invite, though.

"She called you?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah." I glanced out the window. "She said you were there to help her dad out with something."

"Her dad called and asked for a favor." Eliot stated. "Aimee was probably more wishing I would just leave."

"She sounded wistful." I wasn't certain why I told him that, but it was true. "Why didn't you stay with her?"

"Which time?"

"Any." There wasn't really a specific one to pick. "Coming and going like that… It's hard on someone. Especially when they love you."

"I doubt that Aimee loves me anymore." He replied. I wasn't quite certain how to respond to that.

We sat in silence for the rest of the ride. Aimee wasn't exactly my favorite person, and Eliot knew that. The fact that he'd gone to see her the second her dad called… I'd called him a lot those first few years and never gotten a response, much less a visit.

Eliot parked in front of the station ten minutes later, looking around. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Eliot asked.

"I'm a big girl." I stated, rolling my eyes. "See? Bra and notes and everything." I started getting out of the car, but as I almost stepped out Eliot gripped my wrist. As an automatic response I flicked it, escaping his grasp with ease. I turned back over to him. "What the hell, Eliot?"

"Wait." He said. I could see his brain racing to say something. I waited, though.

"What?"

"I…" He took a breath, thinking. "I'm sorry." He finally said. "I'm sorry for… a lot of things, Allie. I hope you know that."

"Yeah, I know." I replied off-handedly. I started to get out again, but he put a hand much gently on my shoulder this time.

"I mean it, Allie." He said. "I really do. And I want to talk about it all at some point. Please." I really stopped then. Eliot didn't say please very often, and the way he said it…

It was earnest. He actually did want to talk.

And it only took me being attacked and almost kidnapped to make that happen. That thought left a bitter taste.

"Why now?" I asked. "Why now, after everything?" He didn't answer that one. I don't think he knew how. Then again, I wasn't expecting an answer. "I'm going inside, Eliot." I said. "I'll be back out in not too long. If the officer wants your statement I'll come back out to get you." This time, he let me get out of the car.

I walked in confidently, taking one last look over my notes. I had everything I could possibly remember. The place looked almost empty. I strode up to the desk, taking a few deep breaths. "Good morning, ma'am!" I was greeted automatically by a surprisingly perky blonde woman. She looked familiar, for some reason, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "How may I help you today?"

"I need to speak with an officer immediately." I stated.

"What seems to be the issue?" She rifled around for some papers, still listening intently.

"It's an emergency. My apartment was broken into last night. I was assaulted and most likely robbed."

"Oh dear, that does sound like an emergency." The blonde woman agreed. "If this happened last night why did you wait to come in today?"

"I wasn't able to come in last night." I gritted my teeth a little at those words. "I was assaulted. I called a friend for help and he brought me here."

"We will need to speak with your friend as well, of course." The blonde woman explained. I nodded.

"Look, can I please speak to an officer?" I asked, fully aware that I sounded impatient. "And quickly? There's a lot of work that I was doing and I really, REALLY need it recovered as soon as possible." I held up the notes in my hand. "I wrote down everything I remember. You guys can have full access to these notes. I just really need to speak with an actual officer."

"Give me a moment to call Chief Leibowitz." The blonde woman stated, starting to dial some numbers on her phone. "In the meantime, why don't you go get your friend and fill out these papers." She handed me some forms requesting information. I pursed my lips, taking the papers from her.

"Thanks." I muttered, walking back outside. I made eye contact with Eliot and waved him over. He seemed to be… Talking to himself, for a moment. What in the hell was he saying?

Better question, when had he started talking to himself?

Eliot hopped out quickly and walked towards me. "They need my statement?" I nodded.

"Yeah. I got a bunch of forms to fill out." I waved the papers for emphasis. "You'll probably get some too."

"Great." He muttered, glancing sharply inside. He strode past me to walk in, and I followed suit. "What detective are they putting you with?"

"The blondie said Chief," I was cut off before I could finish.

"Leibowitz." Tall woman, dark hair, older. Stern face. Also a little familiar. Maybe I'd seen her working a case near my apartment? The voice wasn't familiar though. She sounded almost like she had a New York accent. "I'm Chief Leibowitz. You the girl with the B&E, assault, and robbery?"

"Yeah." I offered her a hand, and she shook it firmly. "This is Eliot Spencer. He came to help me and brought me here."

"Good to meet you, Mr. Spencer." She shook Eliot's hand just as firmly. He nodded. "I'm going to have you talk with Officer Baker. He'll take your statement."

"When can I go back to my apartment?" I asked quickly. "I'm fully aware that it's still a crime scene, I just need some money or my phone or something."

"We can provide you with a new phone, if need be." Leibowitz promised. "However, until we are absolutely certain that you are safe it may be wise for you to stay with Mr. Spencer for a while longer." I felt my face flatten. I offered the Chief a pleading look.

"How long is a while?" I asked.

"Until we are absolutely certain that you are safe and that we have ascertained all the evidence we can get." She replied. I offered her that same pleading look. "If need be, we can attempt to arrange different accommodations for you."

"I don't mind you staying with me, Allie." Eliot offered. "I really don't."

"I'd just hate to be a burden." I said, not really turning to look at him. I gave Chief Leibowitz what I could only describe as the look, the one that women understand between each other. She nodded subtly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Spencer." Leibowitz assured him. "She's in excellent hands."

"Yeah." He said. "Yeah, I know."


	6. The Other Side

Hardison got to work as Parker drove, a plan already in mind. If it'd worked in Boston with Nate's dad, it would work now.

He'd made sure to hack in to the Portland PD network when Nate told him they were coming here. Nate had approved. It had the opportunity to serve useful in case they needed the local leos. Now, though, it would prove useful for a modified shell game.

Four high-priority alarms that the system thought was being triggered, set to activate the second he was connected to the network. One "virus" on the front desk computer that would force the guy out. He just needed to be IT, and to be IT he needed to send in the fake virus… Now.

With everything being so connected these days, it made his job so easy.

"So, who's this mystery woman?" Parker asked, taking a hard left. Hardison slammed in to the door, still typing frantically. It was almost an art, having the ability to type in a normal car that Parker was driving. It was definitely a hard-earned skill.

"Her name is Allison Whitman, formerly Allison Miller." He said. "She's a student at a local community college, computer science major. Her sister is Jamie Whitman, formerly Jamie Miller. Both parents, deceased." Hardison didn't need to look at a computer to know all of this, though. He knew it from doing Eliot a favor for the past few years.

"How does she know Eliot, though?" She asked next. Hardison closed the laptop and started changing. "Wait, you were setting up the alarm thingy when you spoke. You knew that stuff already!"

"Yes, I did." Hardison admitted honestly. "And they know each other because they lived in the same town when they grew up, and went to the same schools. They were a few blocks from each other."

"But that's from, like, before Eliot became Eliot Eliot, right?" Hard right this time. Hardison just barely grabbed the upper handle in time, trying to button up his shirt with one hand. "And why do you know all this stuff?"

"Yes, it's before Eliot turned in to a bad guy." Hardison agreed. "And I know because he asked me to keep tabs on her." As he spoke, he could hear a little voice in his ear.

 _ **"And over down that street is where this guy,"**_ Eliot's voice. Coms. _**"He was actually murdered not too long ago because he kept running his mouth and saying a bunch of stuff that he probably wasn't supposed to."**_ Both of them heard a disinterested uh-huh from who they presumed to be Allie. Hardison looked over at Parker, eyes wide in fear.

"You don't think he's serious, do you?" He asked. Parker smiled.

"You're so dead." She laughed.

 _ **"Hardison, why do you have so much information on this woman?"**_ Nate's voice, over the coms.

"Uh…" Hardison looked over at Parker for help. She was still just smiling and driving like a maniac. "Eliot asked me to."

 _ **"And why did Eliot ask you to?"**_

"I don't know." That was truthful.

 _ **"And you didn't think it pertinent to tell this to us last night because?"**_

"I've been running this info for a long time!" Hardison defended. "I figured it was just him keeping track of a sister or something at first, maybe some sort of second cousin twice removed."

 _ **"Does that information tell you who might've wanted to attack her?"**_ Nate asked.

"Not certain right now." Parker honked her horn loudly. "We'll go over it with Eliot at the station, OK?"

 _ **"Sounds great."**_ Sophie agreed quickly. Hardison could almost hear the look that Nate gave her. "Is she alright?"

"Alright enough to go to the police." Hardison checked the GPS. Eliot would be there too soon. They needed time to clear the majority of the place out. "Eliot, I need you to stall."

 _ **"Eliot, amp up the Portland Tour Guide."**_ Nate's command came crystal clear. There was a slight sigh before they heard Eliot speak again.

 _ **"And up and over there is, in all honesty, one of the best donut places I've ever been to."**_ Parker perked up at those words. _**"You know, you really didn't eat a lot of that omelet I made. We should stop by. They're the best donuts in the city, and a full stomach might be good for you."**_

 _ **"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. What were you saying?"**_

 _ **"Donuts."**_ Eliot repeated.

"Eliot, if you stop for donuts get me some!" Parker requested.

"Ooh, and me!" Hardison added.

 _ **"Actually, funny story."**_ Eliot continued. _**"That guy that got murdered had some of those donuts before he was murdered. Still would've raved that they're the best donuts in the city. You know, I think the officers over at the Precinct wouldn't say no to a few."**_

"You are definitely dead." Parker repeated, braking hard as she made one more hard right. The parking job was admittedly pretty smooth, if not jarring. Hardison hopped out, and headed inside.

"Hey, I got a call for IT?" He said. The guy at the desk nodded.

"Yeah, I just put it in. My computer is screwed and we've got four different major calls out!" As he spoke, a group of cops ran past them. The desk guy let out a sigh, thinking. "Look, these calls are important. I need this computer fixed PRONTO in case anything else comes in over the wire or in person. How soon can you have this fixed?"

"I'll need to take a look, but…" Hardison breathed in through his teeth. "It might take an hour or two."

"Great." The guy groaned. "I'm heading out to help with these calls. I need you to call me as soon as it's fixed, alright?"

"Yes sir-ree!" Hardison nodded, offering the biggest smile he could. The guy rushed out, leaving Hardison to "get to work."

One password typed in, and the fake virus was gone.

Hardison saw Parker walk in, and switched off with her. "Receptionist?" She asked. Hardison nodded. "What're you?"

"Tech recon." He replied, opening up his laptop as Nate and Sophie walked in. Both were dressed sharply. "What's the game plan?" He asked them.

"Interviews first." Nate said. "We'll be there in seven minutes. Sophie, you take the client. I'll double check with Eliot and Hardison on what's going on. How long do you think we have until the officers will be back?"

"Thirty minutes, at max."

"Potentially fourty, depending on volume and whether or not they investigate the power lines." Parker added. Hardison nodded.

"Great." Nate said. "Alright. Sophie, do you have a plan?"

"Yes, but I wish I had more time." She admitted.

"We'll find a way for more time later." Nate decided. "Hardison, give me everything you've got on Allison and go check out her apartment."

"Don't you want me to wait for Eliot on that one?"

"No." Everyone seemed a little shocked by that. Eliot was almost always there to check out the scene.

 _ **"And here we have the precinct."**_ Eliot's voice crackled over the coms. As he spoke, Sophie snapped her fingers.

"I have an idea." She said, walking around to Parker's side of the desk. As she typed, they heard a car pull up.

"Hardison, go." Nate ordered.

 _ **"Do you want me to come in with you?"**_ Eliot's voice, but they couldn't tell whether he was talking to the client or to them.

"If you're asking us, I need you to stay with the client." Nate answered. Out through the window, they could start to see Allison exit the car.

"Eliot, give us two more minutes!" Sophie requested.

They all saw her stop, as if by Eliot. Over the coms they could hear him.

 _ **"Wait."**_

 _ **"What?"**_

 _ **"I… I'm sorry."**_ Those were words they hadn't ever really heard him say before, much less with such… such sincerity. Such honesty. _**"I'm sorry for… a lot of things, Allie. I hope you know that."**_

 _ **"Yeah, I know."**_

"Hardison, go!" Nate hissed. He made his way to the back exit, still hearing the conversation as he went.

 _ **"I mean it, Allie."**_ He said. _**"I really do. And I want to talk about it all at some point. Please."**_

 _ **"Why now?"**_ She asked. _**"Why now, after everything?"**_ There was a long pause. Hardison wanted to tell the man to say something, anything, but he was quite certain he would be punched for it later. _**"I'm going inside, Eliot. I'll be back out in not too long. If the officer wants your statement I'll come back out to get you."**_

Hardison started the car as he heard Parker start to talk with the client. She said something about filling out forms, and he couldn't help but smile. Sophie's idea. Not a bad one, at that. Definitely was at least a quick one that would give them a hard copy of information to review.

"Eliot, can you tell me what I'm looking for?" Hardison asked, driving off.

 _ **"See if they left anything behind to help identify them."**_ Eliot ordered. _**"She did her best to beat the crap out of them, so at least one of them is probably in the hospital. She sprayed something in their eyes."**_

"Got it. I'll see if there was any surveillance around to get an ID on the guys or the car, and cross-reference with recent hospital check-ins. Do you know what they were after?"

 _ **"Her."**_ He replied. _**"And something she had, judging from how ransacked the place was."**_

"Hopefully Sophie will get more in the interview." Hardison muttered.


	7. What Happened

"Let's talk about what happened." Officer Leibowitz said. "From the beginning." I sat down in front of her, surprised at how empty this precinct was. Maybe they just ran a skeleton crew, or they had a lot of people out on patrol?

That wasn't important, though. What was important was getting everything out and getting an investigation started.

"It happened last night." I said. She started taking notes immediately. "I was in my apartment making dinner and I heard someone banging on my door. It sounded like they were trying to break down my door. I got a knife and a bottle of spray cleaner, and hid in my closet."

"Why was that your first reaction?"

"I… Um…" I rubbed the back of my neck for a second. "I went through a similar traumatic event as a child. It was kind of like a memory from then." I could feel my eyes glass over a little as I spoke, remembering the break in and its predecessor side-by-side.

 _"Eliot. Thank God. I need your help. Please. Men are trying to break in to my house."_

 _"Ellie? Ellie, help. Go get your Pa, please!"_

I shook my head a little, bringing myself back to the present. "I, um… I called Eliot then."

"In the memory or during the break-in?"

"Both." I admitted honestly. "I didn't know who else to call either time. But this time, though, in the present…" This was harder to talk about than I had thought it would be. "I hid in my closet with the spray bottle and called Eliot for help."

"Why didn't you call the police?" The second she said that word, police, I felt extremely uncomfortable. I didn't like being here. I didn't like cops. They didn't protect you, they protected their own.

 _"You wanna call the police?!" Another memory, one of a batch I'd worked hard to repress. "Go ahead, call them. I dare you. I'll be the responding officer every fucking time, you worthless bitch." Raymond was a bastard, he always had been, but those days he was the bastard with a badge._

"I'm… I couldn't." That was all I said. That was all I felt comfortable saying. "I'm sorry, I know I should've, but in the moment all I could do was call Eliot."

"It's alright." Leibowitz assured me. She offered a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Do you mind continuing?" I took a breath and nodded, feeling firm in my decision.

"Yeah, yeah. I can keep going." I promised. She nodded, awaiting my words. "I was in the middle of the call with Eliot when the guy found me. There were two of them. Both of them were easily over six feet tall, built extremely bulky. I didn't know them, but I can give a description for a sketch artist if you want me to."

"Wonderful. We'll put you in touch with our sketcher after this." She promised.

"Thanks." I kept going. "I… I sprayed one of them in the eyes with the bottle." I laughed. "I think I really screwed up their eyes with that. They tried to grab me and get me out of the house, but I kept fighting." I wasn't certain how exactly to describe that. Give her a blow-by-blow of the fight? If I did that I'd have to explain how I learned to fight. I certainly didn't look like a fighter, per se, but I definitely walked out not nearly as badly beat as they had.

If I had to explain, there was a good chance I'd get arrested.

Or worse, have a new group of people trying to kill me.

"I broke eye guy's nose, and got some good swipes in on the other guy before they knocked me out. I think the only reason they left me is because they thought they'd killed me." In truth, I was surprised they hadn't. My temple had hit the corner of my table pretty damn hard. "When I woke up, Eliot was there. He took me to his place in case they came back, and brought me here."

"Thank you. I know that this can't be easy for you." Leibowitz said. She offered me a kind smile. "You also said that they stole items from you. Do you know what it might've been or why?"

"My computers." I said automatically. "I heard them talking before they found me. They wanted my research."

"What were you working on?" There was too much information on that computer. Too much that the thieves didn't need to see, much less the cops.

"My thesis project." That was honest enough. That would help. "I was working on improvements to internet and automated security built off the principals of self-learning AI's." I could see the Chief's face pale, if only for a moment.

"Would you mind elaborating on that?" She requested, her voice giving away nothing.

"Do you know what the Steranko security system is?" I asked. She nodded, just a little stiff.

"Yes, I'm familiar."

"There was a huge break-in at a Steranko-secured building a few years back. I'm studying it and the failures of the Steranko system to learn how to create a better one that can be applied in the online world to help stop internet-based crimes that are harder to track."

"Wow. That's… That's a very interesting thesis project."

"I've already gotten some attention from potential investors." I smiled a little at that. These people were willing to pay huge amounts of money for an in on my work.

"Would you mind writing down a list of who has expressed interest in your project?" She asked, sliding me a piece of paper.

"Yeah, no problem." I started writing. It was a short list. Linda Murdock from SafeIA (working in increased internet accessibility and safety), Robert Stone from The Chaos Initiative (small non-profit wanting to increase the reach of internet safety), and one of my advisors, Jonah Cheng. I made sure to include their reasons for involvement and where I knew them from as I wrote this down. "Do you think any of them were involved?" I asked. I'd done my own background research on these people. I couldn't even imagine any of them hiring thugs to kidnap and steal.

"We just want to see if they know who might have done this." Leibowitz promised. I handed her my notes as well that I'd written.

"A written copy of everything I remember, as well as basic descriptions of the people who broke in." I explained. "I'd still like to meet with that sketch artist though, if that's alright."

"Wow." She looked at my notes, marveling slightly. "I didn't know you'd done this."

"I didn't want to forget anything." I said.

"Well, we'll dispatch an officer to your apartment immediately to check out the scene and go from there."

"If my wallet and phone are still there, is there any chance I can get those back? I'd like to be a little independent, you know?"

"We'll look." She promised. "And if your phone isn't there we'll provide you with a new one."

"Thanks."

"Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"You, uh… You said that there might be somewhere else I could stay?" I said the words just a little sheepishly. "Not that Eliot is a bad guy, there's just… I can't stay with him, you know?"

"Why is that?"

"History. Old history."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head automatically at that question. If I wasn't going to talk about Eliot to my sister, there was no way in hell I was going to talk about it to a stranger; even if they were a cop.

Wait.

My sister.

If they were coming for me or my research, whose to say they wouldn't go for her too? I hadn't even thought about that until now.

"Chief Leibowitz, I have a younger sister." I said quickly. "She's in college."

"Do you want to call her?"

"No, no, she's extremely independent. I don't want to worry her." I said quickly. "But I also want to make sure she's not involved. Is there any chance you can have an officer check up on her until this is all figured out?"

"Of course." She promised. I felt better at that. "Can you give me her name, phone number, and home address?" I wrote down the information for her quickly, feeling more relieved as I did. I was going to keep her safe. She would never have to know about this. She didn't remember Raymond, thank God. I wouldn't let her know about this either.

"Thank you." I couldn't thank this woman enough. She'd listened. She'd asked good questions. She'd taken thorough notes on her end, at least as far as I could see. She was going to help me.

It felt good to meet a cop I could actually trust.

"Until we either acquire a phone for you or return yours to your possession, I'm going to request that you stay with Eliot Spencer." She said. "Just so that we can contact you if need be. Do you think you can manage that?"

"Sure." I pursed my lips a little, but I also understood. It would be safer for now, in case someone tried again. And if they got information for me, I could be reached through the man.

I didn't necessarily like it, but I could understand the need for it. For now, anyways.

"Thank you very much." She stood to shake my hand, and I followed suit. "It was very brave for you to come in here today. We will contact you about meeting with our sketch artist in the near future."

"No problem." I stopped, feeling that overwhelming sense of familiarity wash over me. "I'm sorry to ask, but do I know you from somewhere?" I couldn't help it. I had to know. Chief Leibowitz shook her head.

"I don't think so." She said. "Sorry. But it was nice to meet you." Something felt just a little off in those last words, but I couldn't tell why. Maybe it was just from everything going on. I couldn't place where I thought I knew her from, anyways. She was probably right.

"Nice to meet you too." I agreed. She walked me back to the main lobby area where Eliot was waiting. I watched a few other cops pull up from their patrols, all looking extremely angry with each other. Eliot stood up as I came in, smiling a little. The smile looked… It looked pained, almost, but I couldn't tell why.

"All good?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. They're requesting that I stay with you until there's a better way to contact me."

"Well, I can't say I mind the company." He stated. "Wanna head back?"

"Actually, can we stop by that donut place you were talking about?" I asked. Granted, I'd already eaten breakfast, but it was also a nice day. I was willing to go for something that would take my mind off of things.

"Donut place?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, the really good one you were raving about with the tech guy that died eating them." I reminded him. It had been an odd story.

"Oh." He nodded. "Yeah, sure. Donuts. Sounds great."


	8. Client Approval

When Allison disappeared to speak with Sophie, Eliot went off to talk with "Officer Baker," A.K.A. Nathan Ford. Nate secluded them in a quiet room away from the girls, his face as pensive as ever.

"Allison Whitman?" He asked. That was all he really needed to say. Nobody in the group, save for Hardison, had known of this woman up until today. All of them were probably wondering why he'd been keeping tabs on her.

"Yeah." Eliot said. He knew he sounded just slightly stand-offish. He just didn't care. "Allison Whitman."

"Who is she?"

"An old friend." Eliot didn't feel comfortable telling him more. He knew he would need to, but at the same time…

If he was being honest with himself, he was ashamed. Ashamed of leaving, ashamed of abandoning her, ashamed of hurting her, ashamed of staying so far away from her life and purposefully avoiding her up until last night.

But he wasn't able to be that honest with Nate. Not yet. He would know without Eliot saying the words, but that didn't make him any more inclined to speak them. "We… We grew up together. She's," Eliot caught himself. He was about to say that she is his friend, his best friend, as though it was a current thing. He'd been out of her life so long though. Could he really call himself her friend now? Did she think of him as her friend? "She was my best friend. We lived a few miles down the road from each other in a pretty rural town. We'd spend all our time together." Eliot got lost in thought after that. He remembered their childhood together almost in sepia tones. Meeting each other in the church "Lil young'ins" program. Playing in the creek between their houses. Climbing the trees and the hay bales in Mr. Johnson's pasture.

 _"You can't catch me, Ellie!" Allie's voice - but she was called Al then – bright and chipper as she sprinted through the tall grasses. It was a warm summer day, and his dad had given him the day off from helping at the store. All he did then was spend his time with Al, before the other boys told him it was weird and odd and he wanted to fit in so he didn't do it as often. This was the summer before things changed._

 _"Yes I can!" Al was fast, but Ellie was faster. He tagged her after a few more seconds, causing her to stumble in her steps. She didn't fall though. That was the important part. He never wanted to hurt her. He just wanted them to have fun._

"She called me Ellie, and I called her Al." Eliot wasn't quite certain why he told Nate this, but it felt right to say. He got back on track to his explanation pretty quickly though. "We had a falling out after I gave Amy that promise ring. I haven't really seen her since then."

"How long ago was that falling out, exactly?" Nate asked. Eliot sighed.

"I haven't seen her since I gave Amy the promise ring." He admitted. "I haven't seen her since I was shipped off." Nate rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking.

"Alright, alright." He muttered. "Tell me this; without your past history, why else should we take her on instead of pushing her towards the actual police?"

"Didn't you hear, Nate? Someone tried to kidnap her!" Eliot exclaimed. "They were trying to steal her work! This is exactly the kind of case we take!"

"We don't even know what she's working on." Nate pointed out. "Or who was trying to steal it. For all we know this could be a case of mistaken identity."

"It's not." Eliot felt assured as he said those words. He may have been the better fighter between the two, but she had always been the smarter one. Whatever she was working on would be something important to her, and something genius. This wasn't just mistaken identity. Someone had actually tried to come after Allison, kidnap her, and steal her research. How in the hell was Nate questioning her as a client?!

 _ **"I was working on improvements to internet and automated security built off the principals of self-learning AI's."**_ Almost as if she had been cued, the two of them could hear Allison talking about her work that had been stolen. All of them stilled at the words "self-learning AI's."

 _ **"Is she talking about what I think she's talking about?"**_ Hardison's voice crackled over the coms, sounding just as concerned.

 _ **"Would you mind elaborating on that?"**_ Sophie requested. Allison's next words made them all certain.

 _ **"Do you know what the Steranko security system is?"**_ Eliot felt a mix of pride and dread. He knew she was smart, he knew she was a genius, but messing with Sterankos… There would be a lot of people interested in that.

 _ **"Damn."**_ Hardison muttered.

 _ **"Yes, I'm familiar."**_ Sophie agreed. They were all extremely familiar with that particular security system.

 _ **"There was a huge break-in at a Steranko-secured building a few years back. I'm studying it and the failures of the Steranko system to learn how to create a better one that can be applied in the online world to help stop internet-based crimes that are harder to track."**_

 _ **"Wow. That's… That's a very interesting thesis project."**_ Eliot couldn't help but offer Nate a small smile at that.

"That's why she's a client." Eliot stated. "Because what she's working on attracts a lot of attention from both sides of the field. This wasn't incidental, this was an intentional attempt on her and her work."

 _ **"Nate, I hate to agree with Eliot, but if this girl is working on Steranko improvements there's going to be a lot of chatter."**_ Hardison said. _**"All the major hackers will be clueing in to this, at minimum."**_

"And at max, government officials too." Eliot added. "Nate, she needs us. She's not safe." Nate looked at Eliot, almost annoyed. Why was he annoyed? Wasn't this answer enough to his question?

"She's a client." Nate stated. "But I need you to answer my question at some point."

"Why? Doesn't that answer it enough?"

"No."

"Well how come?"

"Because I need to know if you can be impartial on this, or if you're going to be impulsive and irrational." His voice was extremely calm when he spoke, but Eliot could sense the edge to it. "I need to know that you can stay focused with this."

Eliot took a breath. Nate was right, this could easily call Eliot's priorities in to question. He'd definitely gone a little off-plan when the job with Amy had happened. But this was different. This wasn't Amy.

"I can do this." Eliot decided. "Besides, I haven't seen her in years." But even as he said the words, he didn't quite believe them. Yes, they hadn't spoken in years. Yes, they'd ended on bad terms. But at the same time yes, he'd had Hardison keep tabs on her and yes, he dropped everything to haul ass when she called and yes, he'd called the team in on this immediately. He could see that Nate didn't quite believe his words either.

"Fine." He said. "Let's keep going on getting information. Hardison, I need you to send us everything you've collected on our client."

 _ **"Eliot, you cool with this?"**_ The hacker asked. There was a lot of personal information that Hardison had, and in all honesty he probably knew more than he'd told Eliot. But he had to say yes. He had to be impartial.

"Yeah, go ahead."

 _ **"Cool. I'll send it to you guys now."**_ He said. A few minutes later his and Nate's phones dinged. Eliot didn't bother questioning how the man sent this off while he was driving. It was Hardison. He just knew how to do tech things.

"Great. We'll go over all of this back at the pub." Nate decided.

"What about Allison?"

 _ **"You said there might be somewhere else I could stay?"**_ Allie's voice, audible through Sophie's earbud. Those words hurt Eliot. She regretted calling him. She regretted getting him involved. She didn't want to be around him.

"She'll stay with you for now." Nate decided. "So you can keep an eye on her in case they try again. We'll arrange a safehouse once we're certain that she's no longer a target of interest." Through Sophie's com, they heard Allie say something about her sister. "Hardison, check on the sister once you're done at the apartment." Nate ordered.

 _ **"Hardison, give us the background. Hardison, check out the apartment. Hardison, tell us about the sister. Anything else ya'll want Hardison to do? Grab some coffee? Read you guys a story? Hack in to the world bank?"**_

"Hardison." Nate and Eliot said together, their voices showing clear annoyance.

 _ **"Got it. Hardison, do everything."**_

"So what's the plan?" Eliot asked.

"Recon. We'll get all our information and then come back to determine our next course of action." Nate said decisively. To Eliot, though, it just sounded like he didn't have a plan just yet.

"And if they try to come for her again?" He asked.

"Then do what you do." Nate's voice was serious with those words, but also assured. They both knew that if anyone came for Allison with Eliot there, they wouldn't last long. Eliot would handle the situation appropriately.

"And what about the information on her computers?" He asked next. They didn't know how well that Allison had encrypted or hidden her work. Eliot hadn't even known about her research until then. There was no good way of knowing whether or not they were already screwed.

"They wanted her for it, meaning that they weren't certain of being able to use it on their own." Nate theorized. "Get her a computer. See what she does with it."

 _ **"If you keep her connected to your Wi-Fi Eliot, I can probably hack in and snoop."**_ Hardison offered. _**"Granted it's another thing on my to-do list, but that's like the equivalent of you punching a person for me."**_

"Eliot, get her a laptop." Nate decided. They heard Sophie's work end over the coms alongside the sound of cars pulling up. "Come on. Time to go."

Eliot met her in the main lobby, while Nate went out a side door. They left together for donuts, at her request. Eliot decided he'd pitch the laptop offer to her after they'd grabbed a few. He felt bad about lying to her, but it was necessary. She didn't know what he did. She didn't need to know.

That didn't make him feel any better about it, though.


	9. Tech Shop

We got donuts, and afterwards Eliot took me to a tech shop to get a new laptop. "No, I don't need it. It's too much." I argued, standing adamantly outside the shop.

"You were working." Eliot stated. "You should be able to keep working on whatever it was. I don't know anything about computers, so it's easiest if you just go in and pick one out."

"It's not that simple." I tried to explain. "Look, I know you're not the techiest dude I know, but the easy way to explain it is that I had an extremely special and specific computer. Just purchasing a laptop isn't the way to fix that, much less get anything I was working on back."

"Then what kind of solution do you have in mind?" Eliot asked. I pursed my lips. "None."

I didn't respond. He was right whether I said anything or not.

"Look, what were you working on?"

"Thesis project." I said automatically. "I'm trying to graduate."

"And that requires writing a paper, right?" He asked. I nodded. "So you can use your laptop to re-start your paper."

"Without all the data I've been using for it? I can't just do that off the top of my head!"

"Then you should be able to email your professors letting them know you've had a setback, right?" He asked. I stayed quiet. "And check your emails." I didn't like that he was making good points. "And also make sure that you can do whatever other stuff you do on a laptop."

"You were doing so good up until that last part." I pointed out. I saw him visibly cringe for a moment.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, you can pay me back for the laptop afterwards." He tried. "And you'll be able to use it to check your banking stuff, see if they stole your wallet and tried to use it."

That one was actually really important. I'd kept every copy of my work isolated and offline, but my banking… There was no way to avoid having it online. I couldn't risk not being able to pay for my education, much less help with my sister's.

"Fine." I agreed.

"And a phone."

"Eliot!"

"A cheap one." He amended. "So you can make calls. Get a hold of your sister. Your friends. Professors. Boyfriend. Work. Whatever."

"I don't have a boyfriend." I don't know what pushed the words out, but they were pushed out like a defensive wall. Eliot stared at me curiously, and I backtracked. "But I do have work." The fights. You're scheduled for Sunday. You're supposed to work security tomorrow. Shit, you're supposed to be waitressing right now. "I… I should call out from that."

"See? And then with the computer, you won't just be stuck at my place doing nothing all day. I know you hate being bored."

I hated that he was right. What an asshole, being correct and trying to help me now.

It was an odd mix of anger, hate, and appreciation.,

"And I'm paying you back for all of it." I repeated. So long as I could secure my bank info, I could access it relatively quickly to make sure I could pay him back for everything.

"Sure." He agreed.

"Same for paying you in the future for letting me stay with you." I added. "I'm not owing you anything when this is done."

"You wouldn't owe me anything anyways." Eliot replied, his patience growing thin. "Dammit, Allie, why do you always have to be so difficult?"

"You're being difficult."

"I'm getting you a computer and a phone! I'm trying to help! How am I being difficult?"

"I don't know, you just are!" I let out a sigh of exasperation. "Look, you don't have to pretend we're friends or try to make anything up to me or anything. You left, I got over it. So I want to make it pretty clear that this isn't going to be any redemption or guilt or something. Past is done." I raised an eyebrow. "You're just the dude I called. You don't have to be anything more than that."

"And why did you call me, Al?"

"Don't you call me that." I pointed a finger at him angrily. I watched as his face went from anger to rage to stone, and finally back to a form of concealed calm.

"Fine. Allison." He said my name like it left a bad taste as he crossed his arms. "Why did you call me? You didn't know where I was, last you'd heard I was in Kentucky. So why did you call me?"

"I," I couldn't answer that. I couldn't tell him why. "I didn't know who else to call." I answered finally. That was true enough.

The answer seemed to satisfy Eliot enough. I watched his shoulders relax enough. "Alright then." He said.

"Why did you come?" I couldn't help but ask that. "You didn't have to. You could've just called the police."

"I think we both know I couldn't just do that." He said softly. I felt my own shoulders tense at first.

"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN CALL THE POLICE? I AM THE POLICE!" The short bit of memory came and went through my mind in a flash. Eliot placed a hand on my shoulder, tensing it even more before I finally relaxed.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you." He said. "And I'm glad you called me."

"Thanks." I looked down. "For everything."

"Even the laptop and phone?" He asked. I could hear the smallest hint of a smile in his voice.

"Fine. You win." I rolled my eyes. "Even for those." When I looked back up at him he was, in fact, smiling a little bit.

I felt like I was back in old times, for just a moment. We'd be arguing about something or other, probably an issue with my car, and he was right. I knew he was right. But we'd fight and argue and it'd be a bigger fight for no good reason – one of us was stressed for school or tired from a long day or a thousand other reasons that fights get bigger for no good reason – and eventually he'd do just this and put a hand on my shoulder. It wouldn't matter who was apologizing, it was just how he reminded me that things were still OK at the end of the day between us.

Except that wasn't quite it now, and there was a big difference between now and then.

I moved my shoulder away from his arm. "Sorry I'm being difficult." I said, straightening my posture. I moved back to being composed, compacting everything and putting it away. This wasn't the same Eliot as when we were kids, and I definitely wasn't the same Allison. "Stress. Just got robbed and assaulted and probably traumatized last night. Shouldn't let that come out at you."

"Allison," Eliot tried, but I smiled and shook my head.

"Nope. Not gonna let it come out at you. I just need to," I motioned to the shop. "Focus on getting my life and my affairs in order. Thank you again very much for everything, I'll do what I can to pay you back quickly."

Without leaving Eliot room to argue, I strode confidently into the store. I needed to move forwards and plan ahead. What would meet my needs without breaking mine or Eliot's bank? I could get away with an extremely cheap minutes phone, but the laptop… It would also need to be minimal to keep it more secured. And I'd need to get an external drive to keep the important things on.

I knew I had a spare external stashed at my sister's, but I was too afraid to reach out to her and get it. I didn't want to put her in danger. Once everything was cleared, I could grab it from her. It would set me back by a few weeks on the work, but that I could make up much easier than over a year of work.

Eliot hung around quietly by my side as I grabbed what I needed, looking distracted once more. On one hand I felt bad; I didn't want to hurt his feelings. He was admittedly being extremely kind. But at the same time I knew this wouldn't be a permanent thing. I was more than likely putting stress on his life, and once it was done and settled I doubted he'd reach out (I knew for certain I probably wouldn't). He had his life. I had mine.

It was better to accept that now instead of pretending something would change in the future.

Eliot spoke back up when I told him I had everything I needed. "You realize you can get a better phone or laptop than those, right?" He asked. He eyed the external drive in my hand. "And what's that?"

"An old habit." I admitted. "I prefer keeping backups."

"Do you have any backups of your work?" He asked. "We can go pick it up, no issues."

"They were all at my apartment." I lied. "If they weren't stolen they were probably trashed."

"Oh."

"But the computer and phone are fine." I waved them a little. "They'll work perfectly for what I need."

"Just because they work doesn't mean you'll like them." He looked around and pointed to the smartphones. "Get one you'll like! They'll have GPS, you can look up bus routes in real-time, and you won't get lost."

"I don't need a smartphone," I started, but Eliot interrupted by pointing a little off to his left.

"Tell me what direction I'm pointing in and I'll concede."

"That's not fair, we're not even outside!" I said. "I can't look up or anything!" Eliot just raised an eyebrow.

"I'm buying. I don't want you to get lost." He said.

"Fine." I walked over and grabbed the oldest model smartphone I could find, putting away the minutes phone in the process. "Happy?"

"Yes." He said. "Are you sure you don't want a better laptop too?"

"Yes!" At those words he took the items from my hands quickly, and walked up to pay. I stood behind him, arms crossed as the woman at the register giggled.

"You two are such a good couple!" She complimented, leaning forwards a little as she talked. I put my hands up quickly, shaking my head as Eliot spoke.

"We're not," he said. "No."

"We're just…" I paused, thinking. "Friends." I decided. Easiest thing to say with the least amount of explanations.

"Oh! Well, in that case your girlfriend is so lucky to have someone as sweet as you around." She rang up the items absently as she spoke.

"Don't got one of those either." I watched Eliot lean forwards a little, offering the girl a small smile. I rolled my eyes, deciding to walk away. I definitely didn't need to hear him flirt with the cashier girl at a tech store.

I waited outside quietly, planning what I was going to say to explain my absence for waitressing and security (and whether or not I could get out of the fight) instead of mulling on Eliot flirting with the cashier chick. That didn't bother me. That didn't bother me at all. It shouldn't bother me.

Then again, Eliot getting engaged to Aimee shouldn't have bothered me either.

When Eliot came out, he was smiling. "Got a discount on it all!" He said, passing me the bag. I glanced in, making sure everything was there. Phone, check. Backup drive, check. Laptop…

"Eliot, this isn't the laptop I grabbed." I commented, pulling the thing out. It was much sleeker and newer than the one I'd picked.

"Yeah, well, when I told Jeanie,"

"Who's Jeanie?"

"The woman at the check-out." He said. I felt my face flatten. "Look, when I told her what was up with getting you the laptop and phone, she offered up this one at a nice discount instead."

"Yeah, no. This is getting returned." I tried to walk back in, but Eliot stopped me.

"Not without the receipt." He said, pulling it out of his pocket. I could see numbers written on the back of it. 10 numbers, to be precise.

A phone number.

"And I bet you'll be keeping that close. After all, calling the Jeanie is pretty important, right?" He looked at the phone number on the back, and his face flushed a little. He stuffed it back in his pocket quickly. "I thought so."

Eliot didn't bother arguing. "Just take the stuff. Please?" He asked. "If you try to return it you might get her fired for offering the discount."

The idea was tempting for just a minute. "Fine." I spat the word out, turning to walk towards the car. Once I was sitting I went about setting up my phone, almost glad I was going for a new number instead of trying to keep my own. Eliot didn't try to make conversation this time. He just drove in silence.


	10. Allison's Apartment

Hardison drove to the crime scene quickly. He could hear everyone's conversations over coms, including the one between Eliot and Allison.

 _ **"You guys stopped for donuts?"**_ Parker asked over comms. _**"Come on, you knew I wanted some!"**_

 _ **"Parker, that's not important."**_ Nate said.

"Yo, can we switch off the Eliot channel?" Hardison asked. "Not that I'm not enjoying eavesdropping, but it's kind of annoying."

 _ **"No, we need it on in case the client says anything else."**_ Nate said. _ **"Allison trusts Eliot. She might tell him something that she wouldn't tell Sophie."**_

 _ **"I doubt that."**_ Sophie said. _ **"No offense to Eliot, but there's something that Allison remembers that makes her not wanting to be around him much. What happened? I thought she was a friend?"**_

 _ **"They had a falling out."**_ Nate stated. _ **"But I'm certain that if it's important, that Eliot will tell us what we need to know."**_ Not a statement or a demand, necessarily. Just a certain fact.

Hardison listened absently as Nate rattled off some other instructions. Go over the information that Hardison had sent them, check in on the sister, stake out where she works to see if anyone was going to show up looking for her, set up some surveillance on the house, and start looking into the people interested in the client's thesis work. Basic "start of the job" stuff.

"Yo, Eliot, swing by the tech shop on the way home." Hardison said. "I can run a trace on her phone and laptop and see if anyone else tries to do the same.

 _ **"It'll also give us some insight as to how deep into her project she was in."**_ Nate added.

 _ **"Same as to her personality."**_ Sophie agreed. _ **"We'll have to end up running two cons with this one; one on her and one on whoever ended up taking her work. The more we know about her, the easier it'll be to keep her in the dark on what's happening."**_

On Eliot's com, Hardison could hear the client start to try and argue with Eliot.

 _ **"You were working."**_ Eliot tried. _ **"You should be able to keep working on whatever it was. I don't know anything about computers, so it's easiest if you just go in and pick one out."**_

"If she's working on a Steranko system, it's not going to be that easy to just replace a new computer, dude." As Hardison spoke, he heard Allison agree with him. "Ha!"

 _ **"Then what kind of solution do you have in mind?"**_ Eliot asked. Hardison could feel the question aimed at both her and them.

 _ **"Eliot, I know she was your friend, but you're probably going to need to convince her."**_ Sophie said politely. _**"From our interaction, she's definitely trying to search for a form of independence right now. After all, her home was just broken into and she was just attacked. Try to phrase it in a way that would help her find a source of independence or communication towards that route."**_

 _ **"Then you should be able to email your professors letting them know you've had a setback, right? And check your emails."**_ Eliot said.

 _ **"Good, good. Stick with the rule of threes. One more should convince her."**_

 _ **"And also make sure that you can do whatever other stuff you do on a laptop."**_ Hardison cringed inside. He could just feel how flat those words fell.

"You were doing so good up until that last part." Hardison said in tandem with the client. He laughed again, imagining Eliot's face. There's no way he wouldn't be annoyed by that.

 _ **"Try one more thing. Offer to let her pay you back."**_ Sophie encouraged. _**"She doesn't want to feel like she owes you for anything."**_

 _ **"Look, if it makes you feel any better, you can pay me back for the laptop afterwards."**_ Eliot went with. _**"And you'll be able to use it to check your banking stuff, see if they stole your wallet and tried to use it."**_

 _ **"Good job."**_

Hardison pulled up to the apartment. It wasn't the nicest looking complex, definitely wouldn't compare to his and Parker's place, but it wasn't the worst.

The amount of patrol cars and cops out front were the worst. Same for the ambulance.

"Uh, Nate." Hardison muttered, hopping out of the car. "Something's up." Hardison watched as someone was wheeled into the ambulance. There was no rush, but there was a sheet over the person.

Someone was dead.

 _ **"What's going on, Hardison?"**_ Nate asked.

"They're wheeling a body bag into an ambulance." Hardison whispered, walking up to an officer. He had a plan forming quickly to try and get some information. "Hey man, what's going on? Is that a body?"

"Do you live here, sir?"

"Nah, man, I'm just here to pick up some stuff for my girl." Hardison offered the man a smile. "She been staying at my place for a while, and I'm thinking about asking her to just move in officially, you know?"

"You might want to wait on that." The officer advised. "A resident in the building has passed."

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" Hardison allowed concern to flood his voice. "Oh my gosh, my girl will be worried sick! Is everyone else OK? Did someone do something? Oh, I know my Jeanie will be just be all up in concern."

"No, sir, you can tell your girlfriend that everyone else in the building is just fine." The officer explained coolly. "We won't know until the M.E. report is done, but the current assumption is that Mr. Doles passed from a heart attack."

"Oh no, Mr. Doles?" Hardison asked. "I know my girl was kinda close to him."

 _ **"Allison mentioned a Doles when I got her last night."**_ Eliot muttered quietly. _**"Said he was jerk."**_

"Not that the man definitely didn't have his problems, sometimes he could be a crotchety old one, you know?" Hardison added quickly. "But wait, why are all the police here if it was natural causes?"

"We're required to do an investigation to double check on matters." The officer replied.

"Gotcha. Man, I'm glad ya'll are out here doing your job, protectin' us people like that." Hardison clapped the man on the back and offered him a smile. "I gotta ask, is it cool if I go on in? I know you're doing your job and all, but I wanna be here for my girl, you know? Get her stuff that'll make her feel a little comfier and too, especially since someone just died. She's special. She's real special, and I," Hardison paused for effect. "I think I wanna provide and care for her for the rest of her life. No," one more pause. It took all his effort not to hide a cheeky smile. "No, I know I do. She's the one, and I know it. I want her to move in, and I want her to feel comfortable."

 _ **"Aw, that's sweet."**_ Parker commented. That made Hardison smile a little more. _**"It'd be sweeter with donuts, though."**_

"What floor is your girlfriend's apartment on?"

"Fifth." Hardison knew that Allison's place was on that floor as well.

"I'll let the boys know that you're coming up." The officer promised. "Which apartment number is hers?"

"507." The officer paused a little at that, thinking. "Is something wrong?"

"Mr. Doles called about a noise complaint last night." The officer said slowly. "Said that is sounded like someone was fighting or trying to bust down a door?"

"Well, sir, I know my girl was with me all night." Hardison said. "Do you think someone broke in?"

"If you wouldn't mind allowing us to have a look around the place when you went in, we'd appreciate it."

"I don't wanna violate her privacy like that." Hardison said. "She can be a bit of a messy person sometimes, you know?"

"You'll let us know if someone did break in, though, right?"

"Of course." Hardison promised.

"Alright, then." The officer leaned his head over a little to his walkie-talkie. "We got a male coming up to 507, his name is," the officer paused.

"Spencer." Hardison couldn't help it.

"Spencer. please allow him through."

"Thank you so much." Hardison said, beaming brightly at the officer. "I really appreciate it, man."

With that, Hardison made his way quickly up to the third floor. As he walked up, he heard Eliot talk about the laptop and phone choice with a cashier. _**"Look, I know this thing is old, but it's what she wants."**_

Hardison pulled out his phone in the stairwell, thinking quickly as he pretended to be on a call. "What kind did she pick out? She couldn't have grabbed an older model."

 _ **"Yeah, this thing is an old brick. It runs, what is that, Windows '97?"**_

"No, no, don't purchase that thing, she's probably just trying to be affordable. She's actually gonna want something nicer than that." Hardison said as he walked onto the fifth floor. The officers he passed nodded at him as he went, only watching for a moment as he pretended to look for the key. "See if they've got one of those newer touchscreen ones available. Put out last year, at the latest." It still wouldn't compare to what she would need for her work, but it would be easier for Hardison to work with remotely without killing the computer.

 _ **"I'm looking at that one over there for her, actually."**_ Hardison heard Eliot name one of the more recent models of touchscreen computers out there. The other woman complimented him on the choice. _**"I'm just not sure if she'll like it."**_

"She'll like it, I promise." Hardison assured as he finished picking the lock (Parker had been teaching him). "Send me all the info later." Hardison was glad he finished that sentence before he opened the door. When he looked into the room, what he saw shocked him.

"Uh…" He closed the door quickly, stuffing his phone back into his pocket as he took in the scene in front of him. "Nate, we got a serious problem."

 _ **"What? What is it?"**_ Nate's voice.

"Sophie, she said her place had been broken into, right?"

 _ **"Yes, she,"**_ Sophie paused for a moment. _ **"She wrote down that someone had tried to break down her door."**_ Hardison looked back at the door. Perfectly fine. No signs of being broken. It was…

It was new. It was extremely new, with some bad sanding done to make it look a little older.

And her apartment looked spotless, like somebody had just moved in but was a bit of a neat freak and didn't own a lot of stuff, or had just overhauled their whole place and bought a bunch of new crap.

"Someone beat us and the cops here." Hardison said, looking around. "This place looks spotless. Like, if Mr. Clean had a way more neat-freak cousin that flips his lid at the slightest bit of dust spotless." Hardison took a glance over at her small kitchen, and saw a whiteboard on the fridge. There was a phone number written down. "Ya'll, I got a Portland area code written down over here." He rattled off the phone number to the group. "Not Allison's, or anyone in her family. Doesn't look like her work either."

 _ **"Got it."**_ Eliot said over the comms. _**"I'll ask her about the number later. Allison picked up a decent external drive along with the phone and laptop."**_

"External drive?" Hardison thought it over. He'd heard her say something about having backup drives. He couldn't see anything there now that looked like one. It was all just… just too new. "Tell me when she logs into your wifi, and if she has the drive plugged in when she does."

 _ **"She'll be using the phone later to call work."**_

"Once I'm in her phone I'll make sure to check if any of them match." Hardison promised.

 _ **"Got a discount on it all!"**_ Eliot lied, happiness coloring his voice. Hardison tuned him out again, taking photos of the space to analyze later. The whole apartment just looked staged, like it was about to be sold. Even her closet was pretty barren, save for some clothes.

"Yo, Eliot, want me to snag some of her stuff from here while she's staying at your place?"

 _ **"Just take the stuff. Please?"**_ He heard instead. Hardison pursed his lips. Eliot may be good with 99.99% of women, but this one was apparently the .01% he was not good with.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes." Hardison decided. He went back to the kitchen to grab a bunch of plastic grocery bags, and started stuffing clothes in them. When it came to the under-things, he looked away determinedly. She technically needs them. She's a girl, she wears this shit. Eliot would kill me for looking. He might still kill me for throwing them in a bag. Hardison went back to the closet one more time, making sure everything was clear. It was once he did that he noticed something he should've noticed before.

"Shit." He muttered, reaching up behind the metal rod that held her hangers. Behind it Hardison grasped a small, black little electronic circle with an antenna attached.

A bug.


End file.
